Paris District High School - Yearbook (Paris, Ontario Canada)

Page 26 text:

PARIS HIGH SCHOOL YEAR BOOK 'cation and to the citizens who supported the school through very trying times. He expressed their Qll3l,llLllCl6 to the staff whose competent instruc- tion and personal contact meant so much to them. With deep feeling he spoke of the friendships made at Paris High School, friendships that would never wither nor be forgotten, but that would be more deeply cherished, fever-enduring as the years passed. The three choruses given by the First Form Singing Class were greatly appreciated and much credit is due their director Mr. G. A. Smale, A.T.C.M. From the Village Steeple Pealing with its orchestral accompaniment was very effectively rendered, The orchestra, also under Mr. Smale's direction, is to be complimented on its fine selections. We are pleased indeed that these pupils gave of their time and talent to make our Cornroenccment a Success. The closing number of the program, and to many the highlight, of the evening was the presentation of t'My Lord in Livery by members of the Fifth Form, ably assisted by Alfred Gibbons of First Form in the role of a little page. The other characters were: Sybil Amberley-Elleene Munroeg Laura-Helen Wilking Rose-Elsie Blackg Spiggott, the butler-Edgar Nashg Hopkins, the footman-Emory K.nillg Lord Thirlmere-Alex Barron. The clever interpretation of each role gave to the play its full Mid-Victorian flavour. The old English home the quaint pretty costumes of the girls, the gorgeous livery of page and footman carried us back in spirit to the year 1850. The spirited acting and graceful dancing of the minuet won the hear- ty applause of the audience. Miss Ramsay is to be highly praised for her success in directing this play which was one of the best ever presented at Paris High School. On Monday evening the Post Commencement Concert delighted an equally large audience when the play and musical numbers were repeated. Hazel Folsetter favoured us with a very witty reading Towser must be chained to-night. Norman Seip rendered two violin solos in his usual ac- ceptable manner. Helen H. McKenzie, B.A. Ol .18

Page 25 text:

PARIS HIGH SCHOOL YEAR BOOK Commencement, 1934 A gymnasium filled to capacity by interested spectators, proud parents, members of the Board of Education and the teaching staff, alert young gra- -duates, joyful winners of trophies medals, and scholarships, expectant First Formers, eager to have a share in this gala night, versatile musicians of the school orchestra, while hidden from sight those Fifth Form players, destined to delight the audience so-this is a picture familiar to you all, but surely this Commercement held on November 23rd, was the most successful in the history of the school. Q Principal Butcher welcomed the graduates and guests and expressed his sincere appreciation of the continued support given him by the citizens of Paris. In his brief resume of the school activities he drew attention to the recent Inter-school Field Meet held at Burford. Three new handsome silver cups were on display-the Senior Boys' cup, presented by Tip Top Tailors and won this year by Parisg the Harold Trophy for Junior Boys, won by Parisg and the Robinson Cup for Girls' Events which was later present- ed to Mr. A. E. Judge, Principal of Burford High School, to become the temporary possession of our neighbours. Mr. Butcher thanked Mr. John Harold and Mr. C. B. Robinson for their continued interest in our school. He also congratulated the Burford girl athletes, but assured them that P. H. S. girls intended to bring the cup back to Paris in 1935. Mr. Butcher remarked that of our twenty-eight graduates many have gone on to further study in the Normals and Universities of our province. He extended congratulations to Lorne Brooks our outstanding graduate who won a Scholarship at the University of Western Ontario, and who also qua- lified for two other scholarships. This year for the first time diplomas were to be awarded two of the commercial graduates, Irene Ball and Phyllis Brown whose work has been highly successful. It was with extreme pleasure that Mr. Butcher announced the donation of four new Honour Matriculation Scholarships of twenty-five dollars each -the Helen Dickson Smith Scholarship in English, the Dr. W. N. Bell Mem- orial in Latin, presented by his son Dr. Geoffrey Bell, the George E. Tay- lor Scholarship in French, and the Charles H. Baird Scholarship in Mathe- matics. Medals were presented by Mr. George Telfer, chairman of the Board of Education, to the Athletic champions of the 12104 Field Meet- to Frances Kitchen Uuniorj Betty Kelley, Doris Shannon and Barbara Telfer Ctied for Intermediatej Frances McCrow CSeniorD and to John Kennedy fJuniorJ Keith Miller flntermediatel Donald Hickson CSeniorJ. He then presented the prizes donated by the teaching staff to Laura Wilkin and Ruth Gilbert for their success in the Poetry Contest, to Ruth Durham and Glenn Taylor for the best Senior Short Stories, and to Audrey Brooks and Evelyn Bee as winners in the Junior Short Story contest. Mr. Charles McCausland, chairman of the Management Committee then presented the graduation diplomas. Murray McGill, now an undergraduate of the Ontario Agricultural College, delivered the Valedictorian's address in a very creditable and con- vincing manner. As he looked back over the five or six years spent by most of the graduating class in Paris High School, he recalled his own early im- pressions as though he were passing through a foggy haze while the goal seemed so remote. Now they have all reached that point and are looking out towards a still dim distant future. With great sincerity Murray pointed out to the present students the benefits and privileges they enjoyed here. He and his fellow-classmates acknowledged their debt to the Board of Edu- - 17

Page 27 text:

PARIS HIGH SCHOOL YEAR BOOK Valedictory Mr. Chairman, Students of Paris High School, Ladies and Ggntlemeng Once again we have the pleasure of the graduating class, when I say Students cf Paris High School, instead of, Fellow-students. During the-. past few years this expression has often been on our lips, and we were proud of the fact that we were members of this splendid school. This an- nual event, however, is a landmark, a sign-post on one of the corners of the hghway of life, and tonight the graduating class turns that corner. We can hardly say we experience a feeling of regret because this was the goal we aimed at when we entered these halls for the first time, yet the very- wcrd 'last' strikes a sensitive chord in our hearts, and so it is that we har- bour this rather indefinable feeling as we gather here to-night to say good- bye. As we look back over the past, we recall the first day we made our Way to the school on the hill, with much uneasiness and trembling. A new class was embarking upon the quest of higher education, a very new class in the eyes of the second year students. That first year, the first part at least, was something of a mystery. We lived in a foggy haze, seemingly not able to- gain the true perspective of things. We gazed in silent wonder at the migh- ty fifth-formersg and the possibility of acquiring that high and majestic po- sition seemed very remote. As the years went by, the leaves seemed to fall off the calendar with increasing rapidity, until at last the months slipped by like telephone poles when viewed from a fast-moving train. Finally, the thought that we would have to leave our High School suddenly confronted. us. It was then we realized, as we had never realized before, how near and.. dear to us the school and all its associations had grown. As we stood on the steps before we left last summer, there came float- ing back to us many treasured memories of our sojourn here. We vividly remember the Field Days, the Burford-Paris-Simcoe Field Meets,the literary meetings, our at-homes and school dances, the basketball games, and the de- termined searches for the baker at recess. Do you wonder that we stopped and thought for a moment before we went on? And so it is with every class, in fact with us all in every walk of life. We are wont to take so much for granted that it is not until these treasures have flown that we realize what we have lost. We are so apt to gain the at- titude that The world owes me a living, that we miss much of the enjoy- ment of living. It is to try to overcome this attitude in some measure at least, that we wish to mention to you students, who will inhabit these halls, some of the opportunities and privileges that you enjoy. In so doing we will at the same time express our appreciation of these benefits, which, we frankly admit, we accepted as a matter of course while here, but since we: no longer have them, we recognize their true value. Q You owe a great deal to the Board of Education which you have, and. to the citizens of Paris who support it. They are always interested in your welfare, and their continued interest during the rather trying situation of the last few years is to be commended. Perhaps in no way is their interest more strikingly shown than in their selection of the teaching staff. Here you enjoy a great deal of personal direction both in and out of class periods: this is one of the major differences between High School and College. Then, too, you have your various societies. The Literary Society is an organization to which you should all give your heartiest support. I have no doubt that many of you feel, at times, that work in this society is ratlier irksome and is to be avoidedg however, I assure you that the excellent advantage, which its training affords in after life, makes it well worth your 'whilez In addition, there are your athletic functions backed by your Athletic Societies. In this sphere, however, your success this year, and in previous years, shows that Y ou are striving to maintain the reputation that athletes of this school have 19 . I 1